Signing means incumbent starter Cody Fajardo will either need to agree to a steep pay cut or continue his career with another team.
The Als on Wednesday announced Alexander, 26, has signed a three-year contract extension through 2027. Alexander could have become a free agent in February.
Things evolve quickly at times in the cutthroat world of pro sports.
“At just 26, Davis is the future of this franchise,” general manager Danny Maciocia said Wednesday in a press release. “This season, he was called upon to play in crucial games with us and he responded very well under pressure. He has learned from Cody Fajardo for two years and is ready to take the next step.
“We’re now entrusting him with the leadership of the team and we have full confidence in him.”
Alexander was flying on Wednesday from Kelowna, B.C., to Montreal and couldn’t be reached for comment. But late Tuesday night, as news of the contract extension began surfacing on social media, Alexander confirmed the development by text to The Gazette. He and Maciocia will hold a news conference Thursday morning at Olympic Stadium.
Alexander, 6-feet and 200 pounds, has spent three years with the Als but didn’t receive significant playing time until last season, after Fajardo suffered a hamstring injury against Toronto on July 11.
Alexander started again Oct. 14 at home against Ottawa, when Fajardo went home for the birth of his second child. The Als defeated the Redblacks that afternoon, although Alexander passed for a modest 208 yards and was intercepted once.
He completed 105 of 151 passes for 1,347 yards and six touchdowns while being intercepted twice this season. The mobile Alexander also proved to be a threat along the ground, gaining 166 yards on 24 carries (6.9-yard average) with three touchdowns.
Alexander is an exciting and unpredictable player who generally produced offence each time he was on the field. His teammates appeared to rally around him and his exuberance while believing in his potential. And after investing three years into developing him, Maciocia undoubtedly was loath to see Alexander sign with another team.
Nonetheless, the organization is basing this decision on a limited amount of playing time. And it shouldn’t be forgotten when Fajardo was injured it was Evans, not Alexander, who became head coach Jason Maas’s first option. Evans suffered a season-ending knee injury at Hamilton on Aug. 6, forcing the Als to sign Dominique Davis, who had been released by B.C.
At 32, this by no means should spell the end of Fajardo’s CFL career, but it won’t continue in Montreal. Fajardo is due a mid-January bonus payment believed to be as high as $220,000, part of an extension he signed at the end of last season. That cheque now won’t be issued.
The Als can attempt to trade Fajardo, but the dance partners will be limited. Unless another CFL team is prepared to make Fajardo its starter, it won’t be willing to pay that bonus. Instead, Fajardo will probably be released by Montreal. He could restructure his contract and remain with the Als, backup CFL quarterbacks generally earn approximately between $110,000-$120,000 — a huge financial shortfall Fajardo is most likely unwilling to accept at this point of his career.
Fajardo didn’t respond to a Wednesday text request from The Gazette.